On October 13, a special group of tourists arrived in the south of the Netherlands, specializing in the local legal marijuana coffee shop. At the same time, the red lights of the northern Netherlands lightened, and sex workers inside the windows were working legally. A country that "opens the door to convenience" for eating, drinking, whoring and gambling masters the world's most cutting-edge chip technology. Even TSMC and Samsung have to act according to its "face"。
Is the Netherlands a “paradise” for freedom, or a hidden “tech power”? is its openness indulgence, or is it hidden by a deeper level of control logic? How can this country, which is less than half the size of Chongqing, have such a huge cognitive impact around the world? Will legal red light districts and street marijuana really not make society get out of control?
In 1976, the Netherlands became the first country in the world to legally trade marijuana in certain places. Everyone can buy no more than 5 grams of marijuana per day at a licensed coffee shop until they are 18 years old.
In 2000, the Netherlands once again refreshed world perception-- The legalization of sex trafficking is fully implemented。All sex workers need to register with the local chamber of commerce and pay taxes in accordance with the law. The red light district is no longer secretive, but has become part of the legal industrial chain and even attracted many tourists to visit it.
The Dutch government did not cause social chaos because of these policies. On the contrary, the crime rate has continued to fall in recent years, so that prisons are "full and empty", having to close more than 20 prisons and even "outsource" beds to neighboring countries.
Details make the difference. As early as the end of the 14th century, A fisherman named William Becker invented a technology that made Dutch salty fish unnecessary.Scotland has also fought three wars to win fisheries, but has never been able to get the technology.
This "salted fish technology" not only made the Netherlands a pioneer in European marine trade, but also laid the beginning of "technology monopoly" becoming a national strategic gene. From herring preservation to modern chip manufacturing, the Netherlands has relied on technology to eat all the way, and it has been flourishing.
In the 17th century, the Netherlands entered the "golden age" when eight out of every ten merchant ships in Europe came from the Netherlands. They invented low-cost cargo ships, large spaces, and fewer crew, with the lowest transportation costs in the world.With this “offshore horse truck” model, the Netherlands has become a global logistics hub.
In 1602, the Netherlands established the first joint-stock company in human history, the East India Company, and established the world's first stock exchange in 1611. Allowing ordinary people to invest in large-scale sailing businesses, civilians, priests, and fishmongers have bought stocks one after another, which can be said to be crowdfunding by the whole people.
The Dutch government also became a shareholder of Indian companies as a privileged state. This "government-enterprise binding" model was extremely rare at that time. It is equivalent to treating national credit as a commercial endorsement, allowing Dutch enterprises to go further and fly higher.
Bank of Amsterdam was subsequently established, becoming the world's first modern bank. Even the nobles of the enemy Spain are safe to keep the money here, with little interest.This financial trust mechanism made the Netherlands the "world financial center" at that time.
In 1637, the "tulip bubble" burst and became the first financial crisis in human history. A rare tulip bulb was once worth a canal mansion, but the price eventually fell off a cliff and it lost everything. But this turmoil also gave birth to the financial instrument of "futures trading".
The technology power of the Netherlands has never been broken. Today, ASML monopolizes the global high-end optical engraving market, earning tens of billions of euros a year, and has the core equipment for global chip manufacturing. Neither Taipei, Samsung, nor Intel can bypass the supply chain of this Dutch enterprise.
The Netherlands today The per capita GDP is as high as 68,000 US dollars, and it has 12 Fortune 500 companiesAgricultural exports are second in the world, after the United States, and the vegetables you eat and the flowers you look at are probably exported from the Netherlands.
Behind these superficial “open” policies, a special set of social management logic is hidden. The Dutch are accustomed to “social control” (Social Control). In the northern regions of Calvinism, Protestant abstinence and self-determination are deep in the bone.
In the Netherlands, houses can be built more luxuriously and not as much as you want.The exterior wall color, building materials, curtains style must all be in line with the unified planning of the neighborhood. Even if your own garden weeds, your neighbors can report it and you will face a fine.Dutch people don't hang curtains and like to look at other people's homes from their windows, not out of curiosity, but out of social habit. This culture of "mutual supervision" keeps people always restrained and self-disciplined.
The Provo Movement emerged in the 1960s, when a group of young people challenged traditional teachings, smoked marijuana, grew long hair, and staged theater protests. Although the movement only lasted for two years, it caused the global media to label the Netherlands as "free","indulgent" and "rebellious".
The movement did not change the nature of the Dutch people, but instead accidentally sparked the tourism industry. A large number of Western tourists flock to Amsterdam in search of a free experience, the street cafes, marijuana shops, red lighting districts became the “card landmark”.
Children in the Netherlands begin to receive systematic sexual education from the age of six, with the content being straightforward and not concealed. In their eyes, sex is not a taboo, but human behavior must be understood.This is also one of the reasons why abortion and same-sex marriage are legalizing the fastest in the Netherlands.
Dutch public bathrooms and saunas are shared by men and women, and it is not uncommon to sunbathe naked on the beach. For them, the body is a part of nature and does not need to be concealed. This kind of openness is not indulgence, but a default rule and boundary in society.
The Netherlands has not relaxed its bottom line. Even legal sexual trafficking and marijuana consumption have strict age, number and location restrictions.Once the law is broken, the punishment is severe.This is the fundamental logic of the Dutch “order in freedom.”
The Netherlands does not avoid issues, nor racial discussions. Local people talk about foreign immigration and often speak straightforwardly. But far-right forces have always failed to get mainstream support in the Netherlands.
The success of the Netherlands stems from technological monopoly, institutional innovation and pragmatism. From shrimp conservation, to the reform of the financial system, to today’s control of the world’s chip devices, it’s not a coincidence. There are both neon lights in red light districts and candlelight in churches; marijuana is allowed to be legal and social restraint is required; it is both a "free paradise" and an "orderly society"。
The story of the Netherlands, in the era of globalization, is how a small country seeks to survive in the clutches and find balance in the contradictions. Overall, the Netherlands is not a synonym for indulgence, but a unique wisdom to survive between freedom and order.